Stamp User Guide
Version 2.8
Copyright © 2001-2004
Auto-detect digital camera media
Request confirmation for risky settings
Preview results before processing
Request confirmation before processing
Report errors during processing
Summarize results after processing
Stamp is a utility that timestamps picture, audio, and video files from digital cameras so that they sort chronologically. Stamp does this by figuring out when files were originally recorded and then renaming them so that their filenames begin with a date/time label. Stamp is safe because all it does is rename files and move them from one place to another – it will never alter or corrupt the contents of your files. After you run Stamp on a group of files, you can sort the files alphabetically by filename and they will arrange themselves in chronological order. Sample “before” and “after” filenames are shown below:
| Before | After |
| DSC00001.JPG | {DT=2002-03-04 @12-34-56}{BA=DSC}{VO=00001}.JPG |
| IMG_0327.TIF | {DT=2002-03-04 @12-48-37}{BA=IMG}{VO=0327}.TIF |
| MOVI0074.MPG | {DT=2002-03-04 @13-09-28}{BA=MOVI}{VO=0074}.MPG |
The first thing Stamp does is to determine when each file was originally recorded. The best way to do this is to use metadata, which is descriptive information stored by most digital cameras along with the picture/audio/video content in their output files. Stamp can read metadata in several different formats from most current digital cameras, but not all file formats are standard and some cameras don’t store metadata in certain types of files. If Stamp can’t read metadata from a file, it can use file system dates such as the Created and Modified dates reported by Windows Explorer.
The second thing Stamp does is to rename your files so that each filename begins with a date/time label. Stamp offers you a choice of several different filename formats based on the History Data specification. The formats all contain the same information, but they present it in different ways so you can choose to trade off filename length against ease of comprehension. Sample filenames are shown below:
| Format | Example |
| Original filename | DSC00001.JPG |
| History Data 1.x | 2002-03-04 @12-34-56 #001 DSC00001.JPG |
| History Data 2.x (Short) | {DT=2002-03-04 @12-34-56}{SN=001}{BA=DSC}{VO=00001}.JPG |
| History Data 2.x (Long) | {Captured Date=2002-03-04 @12-34-56}{Sequence Number=001}{Batch=DSC}{Volume=00001}.JPG |
There isn’t really anything wrong with the filenames generated by digital cameras – it’s just that they’re not very useful. Most cameras produce filenames like “MOV00024.MPG” or “DSC00025.JPG” in accordance with the DCF specification, but this kind of filename tells you almost nothing about the file. The first 3-4 characters such as “MOV” for audio/video or “DSC” for pictures offer some clue, but the MPG and JPG extensions tell you that anyway. And the file numbers such as “00024” and “00025” can be misleading since they’re not always true sequence numbers: on some cameras if you take shots 001, 002, and 003, then delete the second shot and take a fourth, the fourth shot may end up with file number 002. Even if your camera generates true sequence numbers, its files won’t sort in chronological order because all the filenames beginning with “DSC” will appear before filenames beginning with “MOV”. And things get even worse if you mix files from different cameras together in the same folder since file numbers aren’t unique between cameras.
Using Stamp on your digital camera files lets you identify when they were recorded by looking at their filenames, and it lets you sort your files in true chronological order whether they come from a single camera or from many different sources. In addition, Stamp can automatically download pictures from many digital cameras, gathering files from all the subfolders on the camera’s storage media and placing them all in a single output folder of your choice. And finally, because Stamp generates History Data-compliant filenames, you have the option of using the History Data approach and tools to manage your files without having to convert filenames by hand.
This field lets you specify the folder which contains the digital camera files you would like Stamp to process. Although you can type in a path by hand, it’s easier to specify Source Folder using the Browse button (the small button with the 3 dots at the right end of the field). In many cases Stamp can determine Source Folder automatically if you allow it to Auto-detect digital camera media. You can specify any path for Source Folder as long as that path corresponds to a folder that can contain files, such as a folder on a local drive or on a network share. Special system folders such as “My Computer” won’t work.
Depending how you set the options in the Filter Tab, some of the files in Source Folder may not be processed. Also, depending how you set Move or Copy, files that are successfully processed may or may not be removed from Source Folder. It’s a good idea to use different folders for Source Folder and for Output Folder since you don’t want Stamp to re-process files it has already processed.
Most digital cameras these days are equipped with a USB interface that lets you connect them directly to your computer. On many models, the camera’s storage media (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, etc.) will show up as a new disk drive as soon as you plug it in to your computer, such as drive E or F. If your camera works this way, the most convenient way to use Stamp is to set the Source Folder to the root of the drive corresponding to your camera. For example, if your camera shows up as drive E, set Source Folder to “E:\”. Depending how you set Subfolders and Move or Copy, Stamp can automatically download all the files from your camera, timestamp them, store them on your hard drive, and remove them from your camera’s storage media in one step.
Some digital cameras don’t show up as standard local drives when connected to your computer. They may require special third-party software to download their files, or they may show up as special system folders such as “My Camera”. If your camera works this way, the method described above may not work for you. In that case, you’ll first need to manually download the files from your camera to a folder on your hard drive, such as “C:\Download”. Then you’ll be able to run Stamp by setting Source Folder to “C:\Download”. It takes an extra step, but you’ll end up with the same result.
This field lets you specify the folder into which timestamped files are placed after processing. Although you can type in a path by hand, the easiest way to specify Output Folder is to use the Browse button (the small button with the 3 dots at the right end of the field). You can specify any path for Output Folder as long as that path corresponds to a folder in which you can create new files, such as a folder on a local drive or on a network share. Read-only drives such as CD-ROMs and special system folders such as “My Computer” won’t work.
Depending how you set Subfolders, files that are successfully processed may be placed directly in Output Folder or in subfolders within Output Folder. It’s a good idea to use different folders for Source Folder and for Output Folder, since you don’t want Stamp to re-process files it has already processed.
This setting lets you specify whether you want Stamp to process files from subfolders within Source Folder and, if so, where you want them placed after processing. There are 3 choices:
Ignore
Stamp only processes files in the top-level Source Folder. Subfolders below Source Folder are ignored.
Flatten into top-level output folder
(Default) Stamp processes files in Source Folder and all subfolders within it. All successfully processed files are placed directly in the top-level Output Folder.
Preserve as output subfolders
Stamp processes files in Source Folder and all subfolders within it. Successfully processed files from subfolders within Source Folder are placed in matching subfolders within Output Folder.
The most convenient way to use Stamp is to set Subfolders to “Flatten into top-level output folder”, since most digital cameras store pictures, audio recordings, and video clips in a variety of subfolders on their storage media. If you set Source Folder to the root of the folder tree containing your camera’s files, then this setting allows Stamp to gather the files from the various subfolders on your camera and place them all together in the top-level Output Folder.
This setting lets you specify whether you want successfully processed files to be moved or copied from Source Folder to Output Folder. There are 3 choices:
Move
(Default) Moves successfully processed files to Output Folder, removing them from Source Folder.
Copy
Leaves all files in Source Folder unchanged, and copies successfully processed files to Output Folder.
Copy when unable to move
Attempts to move all successfully processed files to Output Folder, but copies files that can’t be removed from Source Folder.
You’ll usually want to set Move or Copy to “Move” so you don’t end up with duplicate files that have the same content but with different filenames. Also, using different folders for Source Folder and Output Folder with the “Move” option means that if some files don’t get processed the first time you run Stamp you can change settings and run Stamp again without fear of re-processing files that have already been processed. Another advantage of the “Move” setting is that if you point Source Folder to the root of the drive corresponding to your camera then Stamp will remove successfully processed files from your camera’s storage media, freeing up space for more shooting without your having to delete files by hand.
However, there may be times when you want to use the “Copy” option since it guarantees that all files in Source Folder will be left unchanged. For example, you might want Stamp to download files without removing them from your camera, or you might want to experiment with various settings without permanently changing a set of files on your hard drive. The “Copy when unable to move” option can be useful if you usually want to move files but sometimes use Stamp to process files stored on a read-only volume such as photos on a CD-ROM from your film processing lab.
This setting lets you specify which format Stamp uses for generated filenames. There are 5 choices:
DCF Style
Stamp generates simple filenames that follow the DCF convention of using only letters, numbers, and underscores. These filenames are not compatible with the History Data methodology. Sample DCF Style filenames are shown below:
19991008_142317_001_DSC00001.JPG
20000522_084933_MOV00002.MPG
20010818_115237.AVI
History Data 1.x
Stamp uses the History Data 1.x filename format. This is the shortest type of History Data filename because there are no explicit attribute labels and few delimiters, but it’s also the least self-explanatory format. Sample 1.x filenames are shown below:
1999-10-08 @14-23-17 #001 DSC00001.JPG
2000-05-22 @08-49-33 MOV00002.MPG
2001-08-18 @11-52-37.AVI
History Data 2.x (with short attribute labels)
(Default) Stamp uses the History Data 2.x filename format with abbreviated 2-letter attribute labels. This type of filename is somewhat longer since it includes explicit labels and delimiters for each attribute, but it’s still relatively short because attribute labels are abbreviated. Sample 2.x filenames with abbreviated labels are shown below:
{DT=1999-10-08 @14-23-17}{SN=001}{BA=DSC}{VO=00001}.JPG
{DT=2000-05-22 @08-49-33}{BA=MOV}{VO=00002}.MPG
{DT=2001-08-18 @11-52-37}.AVI
History Data 2.x (with long attribute labels)
Stamp uses the History Data 2.x filename format with attribute labels spelled out in full. This is the longest type of filename, but it’s the most self-explanatory since attribute labels aren’t abbreviated. Sample 2.x filenames with full attribute labels are shown below:
{Captured Date=1999-10-08 @14-23-17}{Sequence Number=001}{Batch=DSC}{Volume=00001}.JPG
{Captured Date=2000-05-22 @08-49-33}{Batch=MOV}{Volume=00002}.MPG
{Captured Date=2001-08-18 @11-52-37}.AVI
Custom…
Stamp generates filenames based on a custom format that you define. This can be useful if you need especially short or simple filenames, or if you’d like to include descriptive annotation. Sample filenames based on a few of the many possible custom formats are shown below:
04120401.jpg (8.3 filename with 2 digit Year, 2 digit Month, 2 digit Day, 2 digit Sequence Number)
2004-12-04 @06-23-54 #001 John Doe Disneyland.jpg
{DT=2004-12-04 @06-23-54}{SN=001}{SU=John Doe}{PL=Disneyland}{BA=ABCD}{VO=1234}.jpg
The History Data specification offers a choice of different filename formats that let you trade off total filename length against sophistication and ease of comprehension. History Data 1.x filenames are shorter, but they’re not very self-explanatory and they only allow Captured Date, Sequence Number, and Comment attributes. History Data 2.x filenames are usually longer, but this format accommodates a wide variety of attributes, each of which is identified with a label. By default Stamp uses 2.x filenames with abbreviated labels because this is a balanced setting that generates relatively short filenames that still offer all the power of extensible, self-explanatory attributes.
Tempest Solutions recommends History Data filenames because they’re compatible with the History Data specification – a comprehensive approach for organizing, annotating, and protecting your digital camera files. However, History Data filenames include spaces and other characters which can cause problems with some software systems (such as older FTP servers). For this reason, Stamp also offers a stripped-down DCF Style filename format which produces shorter filenames that include only letters, numbers, and underscores. However, the DCF Style format is not compatible with History Data.
Custom filename formats are defined using the Custom Format Dialog.
This setting lets you control whether new filenames generated by Stamp include Sequence Number attributes to avoid duplicate filenames. There are 3 choices:
Never
Sequence numbers are never added, but files in Source Folder are not processed if their generated filenames match the names of existing files within Output Folder.
Duplicates only
All files in Source Folder are processed. Sequence numbers are added only when two or more files have duplicate date/time values.
Always
(Default) All files in Source Folder are processed. Sequence numbers are added to all generated filenames.
Sequence numbers are sometimes needed to prevent duplicate filenames. For example, many cameras have a “burst mode” feature capable of taking several pictures per second, yet generate metadata which only specifies date/time down to the second. Depending how you set Add Batch/Volume, these pictures may end up with duplicate filenames unless sequence numbers are added. Sequence numbers don’t take up a lot of room in filenames, and you’re likely to need them at least once in a while. The default setting is “Always” so that all generated filenames have the same structure, which looks cleaner and improves legibility.
This setting lets you control whether Batch and Volume attributes are included in new filenames generated by Stamp for files that originally have DCF filenames. This setting also determines whether information in original DCF filenames gets preserved or discarded. There are 4 choices:
Neither
Neither Batch nor Volume attributes are added to generated filenames. Free Characters and File Numbers in original DCF filenames are discarded.
Batch only
Batch attributes are added to generated filenames, preserving Free Characters from original DCF filenames. Volume attributes are not added, so DCF File Numbers are discarded.
Volume only
Volume attributes are added to generated filenames, preserving File Numbers from original DCF filenames. Batch attributes are not added, so DCF Free Characters are discarded.
Both
(Default) Both Batch and Volume attributes are added to generated filenames, preserving both Free Characters and File Numbers from original DCF filenames.
As discussed in the Introduction, camera-generated DCF filenames aren’t very useful, and this is one of the main reasons Stamp generates new names for your digital camera output files. But there’s no need to throw away the information contained in DCF filenames because Stamp can map it to History Data attributes in the new filenames it generates. Stamp preserves DCF information by default, which means you don’t have to give anything up to have your files sort chronologically, and you could restore the original filenames if you ever wanted to.
Normally, Stamp maps the first 4 characters from a DCF filename to a Batch attribute and the second 4 characters to a Volume attribute, but you can change this using the DCF Volume digits setting. Also, if you set Filename Format to “History Data 1.x”, the 8 characters will be mapped monolithically to a Comment attribute since History Data 1.x filenames don’t support Batch or Volume attributes.
This setting lets you control whether Stamp uses internal Metadata dates or external File System dates to determine when files were originally recorded. There are 3 choices:
Timestamp only files with valid Metadata dates
(Default) Stamp uses only internal Metadata dates. This is the safest setting since external File System dates are not always reliable. However, files that lack valid Metadata dates are not processed.
Use File System dates when Metadata unavailable
Stamp uses internal Metadata dates whenever it can, and uses external File System dates for files that lack Metadata. This setting doesn’t prevent any files from being processed, but it should only be used if you’re confident that File System dates accurately reflect when files were originally recorded.
Use File System dates only
Stamp uses only external File System dates. This setting doesn’t prevent any files from being processed, but is not recommended for normal use because it ignores internal Metadata dates that are usually more reliable.
Metadata dates are the safest way to timestamp your files because they are reliable: as long as your camera’s clock was properly set when you took pictures or recorded audio/video, metadata dates will accurately reflect when each file was originally recorded. By comparison, the File System dates reported by Windows may not always correspond to the date/time of original recording. For example, the Created date may reflect when files were downloaded to your computer, and if you edit files the Modified date will usually reflect when files were last saved.
By default, Stamp uses only internal metadata dates because this is the most reliable way to determine when files were originally recorded. Stamp can read metadata dates in several different formats from most current digital cameras, including standard TIFF dates in most JPG and TIF picture files, RIFF dates in many AVI and WAV audio/video files, and CIFF dates in many Canon CRW RAW files. However, not all cameras comply with standards, and there is no established standard among manufacturers for storing metadata in audio/video files using the MPG and QuickTime MOV formats.
If your camera produces files that lack standard metadata, the “Use File System dates when Metadata unavailable” setting allows Stamp to date these files using external Windows File System dates. You should only use this setting if you’re confident the File System dates accurately reflect when the files were originally recorded. The safest way to use this setting is to let Stamp download files directly from your camera, before Windows or any other software programs have an opportunity to modify external File System dates. In any case, if you use this setting you should try to run Stamp before rotating, editing, copying, or moving files around on your computer.
The “Use File System dates only” setting is not recommended for normal use because it ignores Metadata entirely. However, this setting may be useful in unusual situations where you believe Metadata dates are inaccurate. For example, you might take several pictures and then realize that your camera’s clock isn’t set properly. In this case, if your camera’s software sets the external File System Created date according to when files are downloaded, and if you download the pictures shortly after they were taken, then external File System dates that are off by a few hours may be preferable to Metadata dates that could be off by several years. Use this setting with caution if at all.
This setting lets you control how Stamp handles files that don’t have DCF filenames. There are 3 choices:
Timestamp only files with valid DCF filenames
(Default) Stamp only processes files that have valid DCF filenames. This is the safest setting since files with non-DCF filenames may not come from digital cameras, or they may be digital camera files that have already been timestamped.
Preserve non-DCF filenames as Comments
This setting doesn’t prevent any files from being processed. Original filenames that don’t comply with DCF are preserved as Comment attributes in new filenames generated by Stamp.
Replace non-DCF filenames
This setting doesn’t prevent any files from being processed. Original filenames that don’t comply with DCF are discarded and are replaced with new filenames generated by Stamp.
Stamp is intended primarily for picture, sound, and video files produced by digital cameras. Virtually all digital camera files have DCF filenames like “DSC00001.JPG”, so by default Stamp only processes files that have this type of filename. The default setting ensures that Stamp won’t re-process files it has already processed, and minimizes the risk of accidentally processing other types of files on your computer such as word processing documents or spreadsheets.
However, there may be times when you want Stamp to process files that don’t have DCF filenames. For example, you may have digital camera files that have been renamed to something more human-friendly like “Mary’s Wedding.JPG” but which still contain usable metadata dates. Or, you may have an APS film camera that stores the date and time each picture was taken as magnetically-encoded metadata on the roll, and you may buy a CD-ROM from your film processing lab which contains scanned versions of each shot. Photo CDs made from APS film often contain JPG files with standard TIFF dates, but they usually don’t use DCF filenames.
If you allow Stamp to process files which don’t have DCF filenames, make sure it’s appropriate for Stamp to rename all the files in Source Folder. In particular, make sure Source Folder doesn’t contain any files that have already been timestamped, or else they may end up with invalid History Data filenames. The “Preserve non-DCF filenames as Comments” setting includes the original filename as a Comment attribute within the new filename generated by Stamp, so you don’t lose any information and could theoretically restore the original filename if you ever wanted to. The “Replace non-DCF filenames” setting discards the original filename.
These settings let you control whether Stamp processes Read-only, Hidden, and System files. There are 3 checkboxes:
Read-only
Checking this box prevents Stamp from processing Read-only files.
Hidden
Checking this box prevents Stamp from processing Hidden files.
System
Checking this box prevents Stamp from processing System files.
Most digital cameras have a feature that lets you “lock” picture and audio/video files, and they do this by marking the files as Read-only on their on-board storage media. The Read-only filter is turned on by default so that if you let Stamp download pictures directly from your camera, files “locked” by your camera are ignored. However, in some situations you may want to turn the Read-only filter off. For example, you may want to process files from CD-ROMs, where all files are normally marked Read-only.
Digital cameras almost never store picture, sound, or video content in files marked with the Hidden flag. Hidden files are either files someone has decided to hide from normal viewing, or they may be special system files required for your computer or camera to function properly. Stamp avoids processing Hidden files by default. If you have Hidden digital camera content files, the safest way to process them is to leave the Hidden filter turned on and to manually unhide the files using Windows Explorer or some other file management utility. If you do turn off the Hidden filter, make sure that none of the files in Source Folder are special system files.
Files marked with the System flag are almost always special system files required for your computer or camera to function properly. For example, the Windows operating system stores essential System files in many folders on your hard disk, and many cameras store System files on their on-board media that contain important settings. By default Stamp avoids processing System files because if these files are renamed or moved your computer or camera may no longer function properly. Turning the System filter off is not recommended.
This setting lets you control whether Stamp excludes files and folders which have specific names. Checking this box prevents Stamp from processing any files or folders whose names match one or more of the patterns listed in the accompanying field. You can enter as many patterns as you need, separated by semicolons, and each pattern can include wildcard characters as illustrated in the table below. Patterns are not case-sensitive, meaning that Stamp ignores the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters when matching file and folder names to patterns.
| Pattern | Matching Names |
| BOOTEX.LOG | “BOOTEX.LOG” |
| BOOTEX.* | “BOOTEX.” followed by one or more characters |
| *.LOG | One or more characters followed by “.LOG” |
| BOOT*.LOG | “BOOT”, followed by zero, one, or more characters, and ending with “.LOG” |
| BOOTEX.LO? | “BOOTEX.LO” followed by one character |
| BOOTEX.L?? | “BOOTEX.L” followed by two characters |
| BOOT??.LOG | “BOOT”, followed by any two characters, and ending with “.LOG” |
| IMG_1234.JPG | “IMG_1234.JPG” |
| IMG_123#.JPG | “IMG_123”, followed by one digit, and ending with “.JPG” |
| IMG_12##.JPG | “IMG_12”, followed by two digits, and ending with “.JPG” |
| BOOT[A-M]X.LOG | “BOOT”, followed by any character between A and M, and ending with “X.LOG” |
| IMG_123[0-7].JPG | “IMG_123”, followed by any digit between 0 and 7, and ending with “.JPG” |
| BOOT[A,B,C]X.LOG | “BOOT”, followed by either A, B, or C, and ending with “X.LOG” |
| IMG_123[7,0,1-6].JPG | “IMG_123”, followed by 7, 0, or any digit between 1 and 6, and ending with “.JPG” |
Most digital cameras create special files on their storage media that contain settings or other maintenance information. For example, many Sony cameras create a file named “MEMSTICK.IND” on their Memory Sticks, and many Canon cameras create files named “D.CTG”, “100.CTG”, “101.CTG”, etc. on their CompactFlash media. These files should not be processed by Stamp since they do not contain picture or audio/video content and because they are required for your camera to function properly.
Some cameras mark their special files as Hidden or Read-only, in which case the files can be excluded through use of the Attributes Filters. However, there are cameras that don’t flag their special files with any attributes, and there may be situations in which you choose to turn the Attributes Filters off. In these situations, you can use the Exclude Filter to exclude special camera files by name.
By default, Stamp excludes all files ending in “.IND” (covers most Sony cameras), “.CTG” (covers most Canon cameras), and “.LOG” (covers BOOTEX.LOG file created by Windows when booting with storage media mounted). You can add new patterns to the list if your camera’s special files aren’t covered by the above, and you can also use the Exclude Filter to selectively exclude ranges of content files. For example, the pattern “IMG_[0-3]###.JPG” would cause Stamp to ignore IMG_0001.JPG through IMG_3999.JPG, while IMG_4000.JPG and higher would be processed. You could also use the Exclude Filter to exclude entire folders. For example, if your camera stored special files in a folder named “FUJIDATA”, you could add “FUJIDATA” to the list of patterns to have Stamp ignore this folder and everything in it.
This setting lets you control whether Stamp processes only certain types of files. Checking this box causes Stamp to ignore all files whose names do not match one or more of the patterns listed in the accompanying field. You can enter a list of patterns separated by semicolons using the same syntax as for the Exclude Filter. Note that the Exclude Filter applies to both files and folders, whereas the Include Only Filter applies only to files.
By default, the Include Only Filter is turned off because it results in a small performance penalty and is not normally required when processing digital camera media. However, you may want to turn it on if you are processing a folder tree on your hard drive which contains files other than photo, audio, or video files. When using the Include Only Filter, you may want to add any special file formats generated by your camera such as *.TIF, *.THM, *.CRW, *.MRW, *.NEF, *.ORW, etc.
This setting controls whether Stamp automatically detects digital camera media upon startup and whenever the Go button is clicked. This setting is turned on by default, which means that if a storage card containing digital camera files is accessible via any of the drive letters on your system, Stamp displays a dialog box asking if you would like to set Source Folder to the root of that drive. If you say yes, Stamp will also set Subfolders such that files in subfolders on the storage card will be processed and placed directly in the top-level Output Folder. You can turn this setting off if you always want to set Source Folder manually.
This setting controls whether Stamp prompts you for confirmation when you select options that are potentially risky. This setting is turned on by default, which means Stamp normally displays an explanatory warning message and asks you for confirmation whenever you attempt to turn off the DCF Filter or the System Attribute Filter. You can turn this setting off if you understand the risks and no longer want to see warning messages.
This setting controls whether Stamp displays a summary of predicted results before processing begins. This setting is turned off by default, because previewing results takes additional time and is not required for normal processing. However, you may want to turn this setting on when experimenting with new settings or with new types of files. When this setting is turned on, Stamp analyzes each file in Source Folder and displays a message showing what types of errors (if any) are likely to occur. The preview is able to predict most types of problems, and it may enable you to resolve errors before actual processing is performed.
This setting controls whether Stamp prompts you for confirmation before processing begins. This setting is turned on by default, which means Stamp normally counts the number of files (###) in Source Folder when you click the Go Button and asks you “Timestamp ### files?” before processing begins. This gives you a quick preview of the number of files which may be affected, and it gives you an opportunity to abort processing if you clicked the Go Button by accident. You can turn this setting off if you no longer want to be asked for confirmation each time you click the Go Button.
This setting controls whether Stamp reports errors encountered while processing each individual file. This setting is turned off by default because Source Folder may contain many files, which means a large number of individual errors could potentially occur during processing. It’s usually more convenient to have Stamp display a summary of results, but you can turn this setting on if you want to see detailed error messages while each individual file is being processed. Regardless of whether individual errors are reported, you can have Stamp create a log file which contains detailed information about every file it attempts to process.
This setting controls whether Stamp displays a summary of actual results after processing is completed. This setting is turned on by default, which means Stamp normally displays a message when it finishes processing to let you know whether any errors occurred. If there are no errors, Stamp displays a simple message saying “All ### files successfully timestamped”. If some files cannot be processed, Stamp displays a more detailed message showing what types of problems occurred so you can resolve errors. You can turn this setting off if you no longer want to see a summary of actual results after processing. Regardless of whether the summary is displayed, you can have Stamp create a log file which contains detailed information about each individual file it attempts to process.
This setting controls how TIFF metadata dates are used to determine when picture files were originally recorded. There are 4 choices:
Use DateTimeOriginal only
Stamp uses only EXIF standard APP1 SubIFD DateTimeOriginal dates. EXIF defines this attribute as “the date and time the picture was taken”. Other TIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use DateTimeDigitized only
Stamp uses only EXIF standard APP1 SubIFD DateTimeDigitized dates. EXIF defines this attribute as “the date and time when the image was stored as digital data”. Other TIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use DateTime only
Stamp uses only EXIF standard APP1 IFD0 DateTime dates. EXIF defines this attribute as “the date and time the file was changed”. Other TIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use best available
(Default) Stamp first tries to use DateTimeOriginal, then tries to use DateTimeDigitized, then finally tries to use DateTime.
EXIF specifies 3 separate date/time attributes to be included as TIFF APP1 metadata in image files stored using the JPG or TIF formats. Most digital cameras that comply with EXIF fill all 3 fields with the date and time pictures were originally taken, but the fields have different definitions and may not always contain the same values. By default, Stamp first attempts to use the DateTimeOriginal attribute, then falls back on DateTimeDigitized or DateTime if DateTimeOriginal is not available. This setting normally shouldn’t be changed since the definition of DateTimeOriginal is closest to the information sought by Stamp: the date and time pictures were originally taken. However, you may want to change this setting if you believe DateTimeOriginal is less accurate than either of the other 2 attributes. For example, some image viewer programs allow users to manually enter potentially inaccurate values into the DateTimeOriginal attribute, whereas few programs allow DateTimeDigitized to be modified.
This setting controls how RIFF metadata dates are used to determine when audio/video files were originally recorded. There are 5 choices:
Use ICRD/etim only
Stamp uses only EXIF standard LIST/INFO ICRD dates and LIST/exif etim times. EXIF defines ICRD as “the date the Exif audio file was created”, and etim as “the time the recording of audio data was started”. Files that have ICRD but lack etim are stamped with dates only. Other RIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use IDIT only
Stamp uses only Microsoft standard LIST/hdrl IDIT dates. The Microsoft AVI specification defines IDIT as “the date and time digitizing commenced”. Although not part of the EXIF standard, some cameras such as the Canon PowerShot S40 use this attribute to specify when AVI video files were recorded. Other RIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use strd only
Stamp uses only Microsoft standard LIST/strl strd dates. The Microsoft AVI specification defines strd as a “stream data chunk” intended for “additional header data”. Although not part of the EXIF standard, and not really intended for this purpose, some cameras such as the Fuji FinePix A101 use this attribute to specify when AVI video files were recorded. Other RIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use cmnt only
Stamp uses only proprietary LIST/Cdat cmnt dates. Although not part of the EXIF or Microsoft AVI standards, some applications such as ScenalyzerLive (copyright © Andreas Winter at www.scenalyzer.com) use this attribute to specify date and time of original recording when converting DV camcorder videos to AVI video files. Other RIFF metadata dates are ignored.
Use best available
(Default) Stamp first tries to use a combination of ICRD + etim, then tries IDIT, then strd, then cmnt, then finally tries to use ICRD alone.
EXIF specifies separate ICRD attributes for date and etim attributes for time to be included as RIFF LIST metadata in audio files stored using the WAV format. However, few digital cameras produce audio files in WAV format. Some cameras such as the Canon PowerShot S40 use Microsoft standard IDIT attributes to store date and time of original recording for AVI video files. Other cameras such as the Fuji FinePix A101 use Microsoft standard strd attributes in their AVI video files. By default, Stamp first tries to date files with RIFF metadata using the standard EXIF ICRD/etim attributes, then tries to use Microsoft standard IDIT or strd attributes, and then finally looks for proprietary cmnt attributes. This setting normally shouldn’t be changed, but you may want to change it if you have files that include several RIFF dates and you believe that one is more accurate than the others.
This setting controls how external File System dates are used to determine when files were originally recorded. There are 3 choices:
Use Created date/time
Stamp uses only the Created date/time reported by the Windows File System. Other File System dates are ignored.
Use Modified date/time
Stamp uses only the Modified date/time reported by the Windows File System. Other File System dates are ignored.
Use whichever is earliest
(Default) Stamp compares the Created and Modified dates and uses the earlier of the two.
The Windows File System tracks Created and Modified dates for each file. These external attributes are less reliable than internal metadata dates for determining when files were originally recorded, because Windows may update Created whenever files are moved or copied and may update Modified whenever file contents are edited. However, File System dates may be the only source of information for dating files that lack standard metadata, such as audio/video files in the MPG or QuickTime MOV formats.
When digital camera content files are first created, both Created and Modified are usually set to the date and time the file was originally recorded. If either external date gets subsequently updated by Windows, the updated date/time value will usually be later than the original date/time value. For this reason, Stamp by default compares Created and Modified and uses the earlier of the two. You can change this setting if you believe one of the external File System dates is consistently more reliable than the other.
This setting controls whether Stamp modifies Batch values derived from Free Characters in DCF filenames. There are 2 choices:
Do nothing
Stamp leaves Batch values unchanged.
Remove final underscore
(Default) Stamp deletes the last character from Batch values that end with an underscore.
DCF filenames begin with 4 Free Characters, such as the ABCD in “ABCD1234.JPG”. Depending on the Add Batch/Volume and Filename Format settings, Stamp may extract these Free Characters and store them in generated filenames as Batch attributes in the form “{Batch=ABCD}”. However, DCF allows the Free Characters to include underscore characters as well as letters and numbers, and some cameras produce filenames such as “IMG_0001.JPG” or “MVI_0002.AVI”. By default, Stamp removes final underscores from these filenames to produce Batch attributes like “{Batch=IMG}”, which looks tidier than “{Batch=IMG_}” and is no less informative. You can change this setting to “Do nothing” if you want Stamp to preserve DCF Free Characters exactly as they were.
This setting controls how Stamp splits DCF filenames into Batch and Volume attributes. There are 5 choices:
Use standard 4 digits only
Stamp maps all 4 Free Characters to Batch and only the standard 4 File Number digits to Volume.
Use up to 5 digits if present
Stamp maps up to 5 digits to Volume depending whether the last Free Character is numeric.
Use up to 6 digits if present
Stamp maps up to 6 digits to Volume depending whether the last 2 Free Characters are numeric.
Use up to 7 digits if present
Stamp maps up to 7 digits to Volume depending whether the last 3 Free Characters are numeric.
Use all available digits
(Default) Stamp maps up to 8 digits to Volume depending whether the 4 Free Characters are numeric.
DCF specifies that filenames should include 4 Free Characters followed by a 4-digit File Number in the form “ABCD1234.JPG”. However, the Free Characters may include numbers as well as letters, and some cameras take advantage of this flexibility to add extra digits to File Number. For example, many Sony cameras produce filenames in the form “DSC12345.JPG”. Depending on the Add Batch/Volume and Filename Format settings, the Free Characters and the File Number may be mapped to separate History Data Batch and Volume attributes, in which case Stamp must decide how to split DCF filenames. By default, all available digits are mapped to Volume, which means Stamp starts with the standard 4 digits and continues leftwards until a non-numeric character is encountered.
The default setting causes Stamp to split filenames with extended File Numbers like “DSC12345.JPG” into {Batch=DSC} and {Volume=12345}. You can change this setting if you want Stamp to stop mapping additional digits to Volume before all contiguous numeric characters from right to left are used up. For example, some Olympus digital cameras produce filenames like “P3161234.JPG” where the 316 represents “March 16” and the 1234 is a standard 4-digit File Number. If your camera produces file names like this, you can select “Use standard 4 digits only” to have Stamp generate {Batch=P316} and {Volume=1234}.
This setting controls whether Stamp produces log files during processing. There are 4 choices:
No
(Default) Stamp produces no log file.
Text
Stamp produces a log file in plain text format.
CSV
Stamp produces a log file in comma-separated value format.
Both
Stamp produces log files in both text and CSV formats.
By default, Stamp does not produce log files during processing, since results and errors are normally reported interactively via dialog boxes. However, you can change this setting if you want Stamp to produce a log containing detailed information about every file it processes. When logging is turned on, Stamp creates separate log files in TXT and/or CSV formats for each processing run (each time you click the Go Button). Log files are stored in Output Folder with names in the form “Stamp Log 2002-03-12 @17-41-23.txt”. Log files in TXT format can be opened with any text editor and are formatted for easy narrative reading or printing. Log files in CSV format can be opened with most spreadsheet and database applications and are formatted for reliable parsing of individual fields. Details provided for each file include date and time processing started and ended, Windows File System dates and attributes, DCF filename compliance, internal and external file formats, presence of TIFF/RIFF/CIFF metadata, processing results, and any error messages.
You can use the Custom Format dialog to create your own custom filename format. This may be useful if you want to generate especially short or simple filenames, or filenames with custom delimiters, or filenames that include descriptive annotation.
The template determines the overall structure and content of the filename. The default template includes placeholder symbols for the Date/Time, Serial Number, Batch, Volume, Original Filename, and Extension variables:
%d%s%b%v%o%e
Variables are inserted according to the position of their placeholder symbols. In order to ensure that filenames sort chronologically, Date/Time (%d) and Serial Number (%s) should appear before symbols for other variables. Extension (%e) should always be included at the end of the template to ensure that processed files are recognized properly by Windows.
You can include static text along with the placeholder symbols. For example the following template adds the text “Disneyland” between Serial Number and Batch:
%d%s Disneyland %b%v%o%e
Note that generated filenames may include either Batch/Volume (for DCF-compliant original filenames) or Original Filename (for non-DCF original filenames), but never all three together. Also, depending on Add Batch/Volume and DCF Filter, Batch, Volume, and Original Filename may be suppressed even if they are included in the template.
You can enter static prefix and suffix text to be inserted along with each variable. This provides a simple way to include delimiters that separate variables for improved legibility and parsing.
The Date/Time variable is formatted according to a VB6 date format string. Following is a partial list of possible components in a date format:
| Component | Description |
| yyyy | 4 digit year |
| yy | 2 digit year |
| mmm | 3 letter month (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.) |
| mm | 2 digit month (01, 02, 03, etc.) |
| ddd | 3 letter day of week (Mon, Tue, Wed, etc.) |
| dd | 2 digit day of month (01, 02, 03, etc.) |
| hh | 2 digit hour |
| mm | 2 digit minute |
| ss | 2 digit second |
You can also include other characters and spaces in a date format string. If a character doesn’t appear the way you expect, try preceding it with \ (backslash). Note that / (forward slash) and : (colon) may not be used as date or time separators because these characters are illegal in filenames. For full documentation of VB6 date format strings see Microsoft’s MSDN Library.
The Serial Number variable is formatted according to a VB6 number format string. Following is a partial list of possible number formats:
| Component | Description |
| 0 | 1 digit number |
| 00 | 2 digit number |
| 000 | 3 digit number |
| 0000 | 4 digit number |
| Etc. |
You can also include other characters and spaces in a number format string. If a character doesn’t appear the way you expect, try preceding it with \ (backslash). For full documentation of VB6 number format strings see Microsoft’s MSDN Library.
The Batch, Volume, Original Filename, and Extension variables are formatted according to VB6 text format strings. Following is a partial list of possible components in a text format:
| Component | Description |
| & | Original string |
| < | Convert entire string to lowercase |
| > | Convert entire string to uppercase |
You can also include other characters and spaces in a text format string. If a character doesn’t appear the way you expect, try preceding it with \ (backslash). For full documentation of VB6 text format strings see Microsoft’s MSDN Library.
Stamp may report that certain files have “invalid DCF filenames”. These files have filenames that don’t comply with the DCF standard, most likely because they were not produced by a digital camera or because they were renamed after being downloaded to your computer. You can resolve this error by changing the DCF Filter setting, but remember that it’s best to leave this filter turned on whenever possible.
Stamp may report that certain files “lack valid metadata”. Stamp is unable to extract usable metadata from these files, most likely because they were not produced by a digital camera or because they were produced by a camera that uses an unsupported proprietary format. You can resolve this error by changing the Metadata Filter setting, but remember that it’s best to leave this filter turned on whenever possible.
Stamp may report that certain files “lack valid dates”. These files include standard metadata but don’t contain usable date/time information, most likely because your camera’s clock was not set properly when the files were recorded. You can resolve this error by changing the Metadata Filter setting, but remember that it’s best to leave this filter turned on whenever possible.
Stamp may report that certain files “could not be moved/copied”. This generally means Stamp was unable to remove these files from Source Folder or was unable to place them in Output Folder. This can occur for several reasons:
Stamp may report that certain files were “not attempted due to termination”. This occurs when you interrupt Stamp by clicking the Stop Button before processing is completed. You can resolve this error by running Stamp again and letting it finish normally.
If Stamp seems to be completely ignoring certain files in Source Folder, it may be because these files are marked with Read-only, Hidden, or System flags. You can allow Stamp to process these files by changing the Attributes Filter settings, but remember that it’s best to leave these filters turned on whenever possible. A safer way to resolve this problem is to manually remove Read-only or Hidden flags using Windows Explorer or another file management utility.
Stamp may also ignore certain files based on their filenames or the names of the folders they’re contained in. You can allow Stamp to process these files by turning off the Exclude or Include Only filters.
Most digital cameras include metadata along with the picture, audio, or video content in their output files. Metadata can be defined as “data about data”, which in this case means data that describes the multimedia content in the files. Cameras that generate metadata most often do so in accordance with the DCF and EXIF standards. Depending on the type of camera and file format, metadata often specifies when files were originally recorded, what make and model of camera was used, what camera settings such as focal length and aperture were used, and a host of other information. For example, the Canon PowerShot S40 stores the following types of metadata in still image files:
| Attribute | Value |
| Make | Canon |
| Model | Canon PowerShot S40 |
| Orientation | upper left |
| X resolution | 180 |
| Y resolution | 180 |
| Resolution unit | Inch |
| Datetime | 2002:02:12 13:08:34 |
| YCbCr positioning | Centered |
| Exposure time | 1/1000 s |
| F-number | 4 |
| Date/time original | 2002:02:12 13:08:34 |
| Date/time digitized | 2002:02:12 13:08:34 |
| Component config | YCbCr |
| Compressed bits/pixel | 3 |
| Shutter speed value | 0.000998 s |
| Aperture value | 4 |
| Exposure bias value | 0 |
| Max. aperture value | 2.97086 |
| Subject distance | 2.48 m |
| Metering mode | Pattern |
| Flash | No |
| Focal length | 7.09 mm |
| User comment | |
| Colorspace | sRGB |
| Pixel X dimension | 2272 |
| Pixel Y dimension | 1704 |
| Focal plane X res. | 8114.29 |
| Focal plane Y res. | 8114.29 |
| Focal plane res. unit | Inch |
| Sensing method | One-chip color area sensor |
| Image Type | IMG:PowerShot S40 JPEG |
| Firmware Version | Firmware Version 1.00 |
| Image Number | 1000014 |
| Owner Name |
For best results, files produced by your digital camera should be timestamped with the date and time their contents were originally captured. For example, a photo should be stamped with the date/time the picture was originally taken, and a video with the date/time it was originally recorded. However, the original capture date is not always the same as the external Created and Modified dates maintained by the Windows File System. For example, some digital camera software programs set the File System Created attribute to the date/time each file is downloaded to your computer, and most editing programs set the File System Modified attribute according to the date/time changes were last saved to each file. The bottom line is that external Windows File System dates are not always a reliable indicator of when digital camera files were originally recorded.
Because metadata dates are stored inside digital camera files, they’re independent of the external File System dates. Internal metadata dates are not affected by downloading files, moving them around, copying them, or sending them by email. Metadata dates are a more reliable indicator of when files were originally recorded because they almost never get changed, whereas external File System dates can easily be altered after you download files to your computer. For this reason, Stamp uses only internal metadata dates by default, although you can change this using the Metadata Filter setting.
The only caveat about relying on metadata dates involves editing files. Most recent picture/audio/video editing software programs such as Adobe Photoshop 6.0 can safely be used to edit files without altering camera-generated metadata. But some older software programs such as Adobe Photoshop 4.0 don’t understand metadata, and if you use them to edit your digital camera files they may remove the metadata irreversibly. For this reason, it’s best to use Stamp before rotating, cropping, adjusting, or otherwise editing your digital camera files.
Most digital cameras store files in accordance with DCF (Design rule for Camera File system). DCF version 1.0 was adopted in December 1998 by JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association), a consortium of camera manufacturers. DCF specifies various details about how digital cameras store content on removable storage media such as CompactFlash, SmartMedia, Sony MemoryStick, etc. In particular, the DCF specification prescribes that:
Officially, DCF only supports still pictures in JPG files, but the specification allows other types of files to be stored in folders outside the DCIM Image Root Directory. Many cameras have an option to store higher-quality pictures as TIF or RAW files, and most cameras with sound or movie capability store audio/video content in MPG, AVI, or WAV files. When storing non-JPEG content, most cameras use files with DCF-style filenames stored in folders with DCF-style folder names outside the DCIM Image Root Directory. The upshot of this is that essentially all content produced by digital cameras is stored in files which have DCF filenames.
By default, Stamp will only process files that have DCF filenames since it is intended primarily for digital camera output files. However, you can change this by changing the DCF Filter setting. Also, depending how you set Add Batch/Volume, Stamp can preserve the Free Characters and File Numbers from the original DCF filenames. If you choose to generate History Data 1.x filenames, the Free Characters and File Numbers get mapped monolithically to an 8-character Comment attribute. If you choose History Data 2.x filenames, the Free Characters get mapped to a Batch attribute, and the File Number gets mapped to a Volume attribute. The DCF Volume digits setting determines how many of the 8 original characters get mapped to Batch and how many to Volume.
Most digital cameras store files in accordance with EXIF (EXchangeable Image file Format). EXIF version 2.1 was developed in June 1998 by JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association), a consortium of camera manufacturers. EXIF specifies various details about how digital cameras store content and metadata in JPEG, TIFF, and WAVE file formats. In particular, the EXIF specification prescribes that:
Thanks in large part to DCF and EXIF, most cameras store still images with standard TIFF APP1 metadata that Stamp can use to reliably determine when pictures were originally taken. Whether or not Stamp uses TIFF metadata to date picture files depends on the Metadata Filter setting, and the way Stamp chooses between the 3 TIFF APP1 dates depends on the TIFF Dates setting.
Stamp can also date audio files in WAVE format using EXIF standard RIFF metadata, though few cameras produce WAV audio files. However, many cameras produce audio/video files in AVI, MPEG, or QuickTime MOV formats. EXIF provides no guidance for metadata in these file formats, so digital cameras frequently produce audio/video files that either include proprietary metadata or that lack metadata entirely. Stamp can date some AVI video files using Microsoft standard RIFF LIST/hdrl IDIT metadata produced by cameras such as the Canon PowerShot S40, but is unable to extract metadata dates from MPG or MOV files. Whether or not Stamp uses RIFF metadata to date audio/video files depends on the Metadata Filter setting, and the way Stamp chooses between RIFF dates depends on the RIFF Dates setting.
History Data is a methodology for organizing, annotating, and protecting digital photos, sound files, and video files. The term “History Data” can also refer to sets of picture/audio/video files managed according to the History Data methodology. The History Data approach can help you manage files produced by digital cameras, as well as other content files produced by flatbed or film scanners, digital audio recorders, digital camcorders, or audio/video capture boards.
You don’t have to follow the History Data methodology to use Stamp, but the filenames generated by Stamp do comply with History Data standards. In particular, Stamp generates filenames that use the following History Data attributes:
| Long Name | Short | Definition |
| Captured Date | DT | Date and time content was originally captured. |
| Sequence Number | SN | Chronological position of this file within the set of all files that have the same Captured Date value. |
| Batch | BA | ID of batch within which content was captured (film roll ID, cassette ID, DCF directory number, DCF free characters, etc.). |
| Volume | VO | ID of volume within batch in which content was captured (film frame number, cassette track number, DCF file number, etc.). |
| Comment | CO | Free-form comment regarding any other aspect of the file or its contents. |
Stamp generates filenames in various History Data formats depending on the Filename Format setting. Generated filenames include different combinations of the History Data attributes listed above depending on the Add Sequence Numbers, Add Batch/Volume, and DCF Filter settings. For more information about the History Data approach see the Tempest Solutions web site.